Italy has awarded Airbus a $1.6 billion contract for the procurement of A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft.
Italy has awarded Airbus a 1.39-billion-euro ($1.6 billion) contract for the procurement of A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft.
The agreement covers six platforms and approximately 10 years of integrated logistics support, according to an update released in the EU’s online acquisition portal.
The effort replaces Rome’s fleet of four Boeing KC-767 systems, which entered service beginning in 2011.
Italy’s defense procurement agency separately listed the tanker initiative as a critical program in an April 2026 document but cited an earlier signing date in February and an eight-year contract duration.
Overall, documents indicated Airbus as the sole bidder under the restricted European tender.
Neither the Italian Ministry of Defence nor Airbus have responded to requests for comment regarding the latest award, Breaking Defense reported.
The A330 MRTT is already operated by several countries, including Spain, Australia, France, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, the UAE, and the UK.
Several NATO members also share A330 MRTTs through the alliance’s Multinational MRTT Fleet program.
The Airbus A330 MRTT
The A330 system measures 59 meters (194 feet) long, has a wingspan of 60 meters (197 feet), and features a fuel capacity of 111,000 kilograms (244,713 pounds) for long-range flights.
It can carry either 45,000 kilograms (99,208 pounds) of payload or up to 290 passengers, depending on mission requirements.
The plane can be fitted with either two Rolls-Royce Trent 772Bs, two General Electric CF6-80E1s, or two Pratt & Whitney PW4170 engines, with each engine pair producing an output of 340,000 to 360,000 horsepower.
A330 has a top speed of 475 knots (880 kilometers/547 miles per hour), a range of 8,000 nautical miles (14,816 kilometers/9,206 miles), and a service ceiling of 13,000 meters (42,651 feet).
